The Key Verification Assets Fund (V Fund) was established by Congress in 1999[1] to help the Department of State preserve critical verification assets and to promote the development of new technologies that support the verification of, and compliance with, arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament requirements. The V Fund is intended to influence rather than replace or duplicate activities elsewhere, and therefore its resources are, by design, modest relative to the scope of its mission. These funds should generally be leveraged as “seed money.” The objective is to enable the Department, through the AVC Bureau, to encourage other agencies either to develop new technologies or to adapt existing projects to the needs of arms control verification, and proliferation detection or monitoring. The fund requests annual project proposals ranging from the basic science level to assistance for the operation of a fully developed capability. Under the legislation, studies, analysis and workshops to support research and development (R&D) enterprise may be funded as well. The V Fund may also be used as an emergency “gap-filler” funding source to keep critical verification assets in operation until the agency with the primary mission responsibility can assume the task. The AVC Bureau, through the VTT Office, accomplishes these goals by means of interagency agreements with other U.S. Government agencies, and by contracts with private vendors.

If you are interested in submitting a proposal to develop new technologies in support of the verification of arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament requirements, please contact the VTT Office at VFund@state.gov.